WHAT IS EM
What is EM
- EM
- EM-1, Activated EM, and EM Bokashi
- The List of Microbes in EM-1 (USA 2010 version)
- The Microbe List on the Current EM-1 Label (USA from 2011)
EM
EM stands for Effective Microorganisms.
When the professor, Teruo Higa, discovered that the solution is a combination of certain microorganisms, he needed to refer the grouping by a name, so he called them Effective Microorganisms. See Background to EM on how EM was discovered.
EM is defined, among other characteristics, as a combination of three types of microorganisms:
- lactic acid bacteria - same species as in fermented foods (pickles, yogurt, cheeses, etc.)
- yeast - same as baker's yeast and top-fermenting brewer's yeast (ale)
- phototrophic bacteria (also known as, photosynthetic bacteria) - a natural detoxifier found in soil, water, earthworm castings, etc.
For further details on the microorganisms, see the List of Microbes in EM-1 (USA 2010 version)
EM-1, Activated EM, and EM Bokashi
While "EM" refers to the group of microbes and methods and principles of its applications, there are specific terms to describe or refer to the different aspects of EM:
- EM-1
- Activated EM
- EM Bokashi
- EM Technology
- EM fermentation
- EM bioremediation
- EM soil
- EM environment
The List of Microbes in EM-1 (USA 2010 version)
This was the displayed ingredients (U.S. version, May 2010) for EM-1 Microbial Inoculant (full name). EM-1 is OMRI Listed (Organic Materials Review Institute), omri.org, and can be used by certified organic operations.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS:
Microorganisms: 1 million colony forming units/cc (units/ml), 1%:
Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Bacillus subtilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Rhodopseudomonas palustris
INACTIVE INGREDIENTS:
96% Water and 3% Molasses
Click here for a full description per species of microbes that are in EM-1.
The Microbe List on the Current EM-1 Label (USA from 2011)
The current label for EM-1 in the U.S., only lists one microbe, Lactobacillus casei. See information on L. casei in the List of Microbes in EM-1.